Editor's note: This is the fourth in a weeklong series of stories forecasting the future and providing tips for soon-to-be college graduates.
For one Ohio University graduate, it was all about moving to New York City.
Life in the Big Apple isn't easy. Competition for jobs is intense, and it's hard to meet people, said Joe Hennes, who graduated from Ohio University in 2004 with a degree in telecommunications.
It's got its ups and downs
Hennes said. It might be completely different from living in Athens, he said, but he doesn't regret moving.
Between graduation parties and finding health insurance, most OU graduates face the prospect of moving out of Athens in search of a job or new place to live. Adjusting to a new place can be difficult, but OU graduates have relocated across the country and around the world.
Some students are nervous to take the plunge, and many recent graduates opt to go home first to save money. But many people who go home right after graduation end up staying there.
If you are going to (move) do it now Hennes said. Many people end up staying at home and don't save money, he added.
While Hennes said he had a job offer at a TV station in Cleveland, he opted to go to New York. Recent graduates need to decide what is more important to them ' the work or the location, Hennes said.
Some top destinations for recent OU graduates include Chicago, New York, Washington D.C., Seattle, Los Angeles, Denver and Charlotte, N.C., said Robbyn Turner Matthews, assistant director of Career Services.
The lure of better weather and population shifts to the southwest has led some graduates to those areas, she added.
For some, moving back home is a comfortable transition
Matthews said. Other graduates want to be close to their families while still others are following a partner.
Those moving to somewhere new can make the adjustment smoother by having someone to move with, Hennes said. His roommate is also an OU graduate whom he met through mutual friends.
It made it easier to come out with someone and have someone to spend time with
Hennes said.
An internship or prior visit can help graduates get a taste of the city and ensure that they will like living there, said Hennes, who had an internship in New York the summer before his senior year.
I don't think I would have come here without knowing that I really like New York City
he said.
Once you've relocated, one way to meet new people is to join organizations. Hennes said he met a lot of his close friends in New York through online groups.
Some popular Web sites used to meet new people or stay in touch with old friends after graduation include Facebook, MySpace and Craigslist, said Dina Pradel, vice president and general manager of Y2M and College Publisher, which publishes egrad.com, a Web site with advice for recent college graduates.
Volunteering for an organization you are passionate about is another great way to meet new people, Pradel said.
Be open to meeting new people
said Pradel, especially coworkers. Be a tourist in your new city.
Everyone should know their own personal coping mechanisms, and calling old friends and family can help people deal with loneliness, Pradel said.
Some practical resources for recent graduates include Craigslist, a database of online classifieds for everything from subleasers to furniture, divided on a city-by-city basis.
It's where people find their apartment
how they meet people and where they get their first couch
Hennes said.
Joining a local alumni chapter is also a great way to network with other OU graduates, Hennes said, who got involved with the alumni association in New York.
It is great to talk to people who went to OU because they are anxious to talk and help
he said.
In addition to social networks, OU alumni also can help recent graduates find jobs in their new cities, Matthews said.
Career Services offers the Alumni Mentors Program, through which OU alumni volunteer to critique resumes or help orient recent graduates to a new city, Matthews said.
It's a really nice way to give back to the university
Matthews said. Our office works with alumni no matter how old they are.
Career Services works to help alumni connect with each other.
I don't think people connect with alumni as much as they should
